l804» Agi'ictiltural Intel!] gcnte» <|5 



of barley, the (laple article of thefe counties. In thefe aver- 

 ments much truth, we apprehend, will be found, n6r does it 

 feem .pofTible to counteract them, but by {liewinqr that tlie in- 

 creafed tax has not decreafed the quantity of barley malted. It 

 is not fulficicnt to Hiew that the amount of the new tax has 

 equalled the ellimate, becaufe the ftock in hand at th-c time beinr 

 taken, neceiTarily augmented the firil year's produce ; but it 

 OM'jXiX. t .' be liicwn, that the malt trade afterwards experienced no 

 decltnfion, or in other words, that the old malt tax is not lelTened. 

 If we weie merely to reason upon the matter, it would not re- 

 cjuire many arguments to prove that the doubhng of a duty 

 on any article thereof, mulf decreafe the confumption ; nor is 

 much fconiideration neceflary, to find out the impropriety of a tax 

 which greatly exceeds the value of the raw article itfelf. In 

 fatb, the itate of markets proves that the fale of barJey is there- 

 by much impeded ; for, notwithllanding that a lefs quantity was 

 iown lall year from a dread Qi the ejil£ts of this heavy impofi- 

 tion, yet this grain is the chcapcft of all grains that arc raiftd 

 by the farmers of Great Britain. 



' The value of labour having of late prodigioufly increafed, we 

 have been defired by feveral correfpondcnts to turn our attention 

 to that important fubje^. It requires fmall refleclion to difcern 

 that the enormous riie of lall fummer upon the wa^es of mafons 

 carpenters, and labourers, was chieily occalioned by the profufc 

 fyltem a6led upon in the erection of barracks, for the accommo- 

 dation of foldiers, in feveral diftrids. That thefe barracks were. 

 jiecefTary we do not difpute ; but that they were delayed to a late 

 period of the feafon, and then executed at a prodigious increafe 

 of expence, will not be queilioned hj any one, tmlefs he is dif- 

 pofed to fupport every public meafure whatever fliail be its 

 merits. It may alfo be noticed, that the laudable intention of 

 the legifiature, to introduce improvements into the Highlands 

 •by building bridges, making roads, &c. may likewife occafion 

 a continuation of the evil, if thofe entrulied with the diredion 

 are not guided by prudence and forefight. On this point, a ju- 

 dicious hint i;: given by Sir George S. Mackenzie, p. 45, which 

 we trufl will not be negle<5i:ed. Indeed, it would be matter of 

 regret was a meafure, originally calculated for the benefit of the 

 Highlands, to turn out eventually prejuaicial to the interelts of 

 the country at large. We are clear, that the aitifati and labour- 

 er ought to be well paid, but there is a medium in all things, 

 and extravagant profufion on the one hand, deferves equal cen- 

 fure as illiberal parfimony does on the other. 



The diftrelTes of tlie Zet landers, have latelv engrofled much 

 notice, and it gives us pleafure to remark, that their fituation 

 early experienced the attention of that able public officer the 

 Lord Advocate of Scotland. With an unfuccefsful filhery, an4 



